This invention relates to an air vent control apparatus, and more particularly to an air vent control apparatus in which a connecting member is provided for simultaneously moving a plurality of horizontal swing louvers.
An ordinary air conditioner is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. An air intake opening 1 is formed at the upper portion of a front surface while a discharge opening 2 is formed at the lower portion of the front surface. Behind the front surface are mounted a heat exchanger (not shown) in which refrigerant being in a state of low pressure and temperature and thus suitable to be evaporated is flowed, and a fan (not shown) for circulating the indoor air. Further, behind the discharge opening 2 are provided vertical swing louvers 3 and horizontal swing louvers 4.
In the air conditioner, as the fan rotates, the indoor air is drawn through the intaking opening 1 and the temperature of the indoor air is lowered while passing the heat exchanger. Further, the cool air is discharged through the discharge opening 2, thus cooling the indoors. At this time, the air flow with respect to the vertical or the horizontal direction is controlled by corresponding swing louvers 3,4.
Next, the conventional air vent apparatus, shown in FIG. 7, comprises an upper 5 and a lower plate 6 defining the discharge opening 2, a hinge pin 4a protruded at the rear of the upper portion of respective horizontal swing louvers 4, a bushing 7 fitted on the hinge pin 4a, an opening 5a formed in the upper plate 5 for receiving the bushing 7, and a pin 4b protruded at the front of the upper portion of respective horizontal swing louvers 4. The air vent apparatus further comprises a connecting bar 8 for linking together a plurality of pins 4b and for controlling simultaneously those pins 4b, and an auxiliary connecting bar 9 fitted into a slot 4c formed at the upper portion of the horizontal swing louvers 4.
In the conventional air vent control apparatus, the hinge pin 4a is preliminarily inserted into the opening 5a, and the bushing 7 is force-fitted into the opening 5a so as to frictionally grip the hinge pin 4a. Next, a plurality of pins 4b of one set of louvers 4 are linked with each other by the connecting bar 8, and the auxiliary connecting bar 9 is fitted through the slot 4c formed in a louver 4 of that set of horizontal swing louvers 4 and also through the slot 4c' formed in a louver 4' of a neighboring set of horizontal swing louvers 4'. That creates the simultaneous swinging of the two sets of louvers 4,4'.
That is, in the air vent control apparatus, when one swing louver 4 is horizontally moved, a plurality of louvers 4,4' of a plurality of sets of are simultaneously moved in a horizontal swing direction by the connecting bar 8 and the auxiliary connecting bar 9. The direction of air flow can thus be changed.
However, because the connecting bar 8 and the auxiliary connecting bar 9 are exposed to the air flow of the air discharge opening 2, the outflowing air is hindered by the connecting bar 8, 9 located in the outflowing air opening 2. That produces the problem that the air flow noise is increased and the volume of air flow is reduced due to the obstructing bars 9.
Further, due to irregularities on the contacting surfaces of the pins on the louvers, the openings on the upper plates and the bushing 7, a smooth fit may not be established. Accordingly, the louver may be set to a position offset from the intended position. Such an offset contributes to the noise problem. Additionally, the louvers may swing about its axis in an unsmooth manner.
Furthermore, amount of assembly time necessary for inserting pins 4a and 4b of each of the louvers into openings in the upper plate 5 and connecting bar 8, respectively, is significantly long. Thus, productivity is not optimized.